Fracking forum draws large crowd

On Tuesday January 27, 2015, Frack Free Foothills held a community forum to discuss unconventional drilling in Berea, KY, with FracTracker’s Bill Hughes presenting. Read more

Environmental concerns raised as oil companies take fresh look at fracking in Kentucky

January 10, 2015 – Lexington Herald-Leader

There’s been little heat so far in Kentucky over hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a technique of drilling for oil and natural gas that has caused division elsewhere in the country, but now the controversy has gushed up here. Read more

Fracking Spurred Ohio Earthquakes: Some Not Surprised

January 6, 2015 – Public News Service

Some environmentalists and energy-industry observers say they are not surprised by a new study that connects earthquakes to hydraulic fracturing in Ohio. Read more

To fill in the blanks on Marcellus data, volunteers turn to crowdsourcing

January 6, 2015 – PowerSource (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Oil and gas companies may have the money to pay research analysts for quality data, but public interests have the numbers on their side. Read more

Effects of fracking on the health of children

December 26, 2014 – Al Jazeera America News

Jennifer London reports on why parents are upset over drilling near schools, with an interview of Kyle Ferrar, CA Program Coordinator, FracTracker Alliance. Video (will update link when video available)

CMU, Fractraker teaming up to monitor crude oil trains through region

December 13, 2014 – PowerSource (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trains carrying millions of gallons of crude oil from Midwestern shale oil fields pass through the region daily and at speeds approaching the limit established to reduce derailment risks, according to a pilot study by Fractracker Alliance and Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab. Read more

PR Firm to Advise New York Oil & Gas Group to “Win Ugly”

November 12, 2014 – Earth Island Journal

Leaked transcript shows energy companies will be told to make the fight against fracking opponents personal Read more

Pennsylvania’s frack ponds now number more than 500

November 11, 2014 – StateImpactPA

In 2005, Pennsylvania had 11 frack water pits. Just eight years later, aerial maps show that number has jumped to 529. It’s unclear how many of these sites store fresh water used for fracking, and how many store the toxic wastewater that results from oil and gas drilling operations. Read more

Ohio Governor Hoping To Amend “Outrageous” Drilling Tax

November 2, 2014 – OilPrice.com

With U.S. midterm elections just days away, one Republican state governor is coasting to re-election despite promising to aggressively push for higher taxes on the oil and gas industry. Read more

Shale Drilling Destroys Regional Water Resources

September 2014 – Fresh Water Accountability Project

Grand Rapids, OH – Ohioans are beginning to realize that unconventional shale drilling uses a great deal of water, permanently ruining it for other uses. But what they may not know is fracked gas and oil wells in Ohio are turning out to be less productive over time, with more water needed so the effects of water usage are rising. Read more

SkyTruth maps impoundments using aerial photos

September 20, 2014 – Observer-Reporter

Attempting to identify every Marcellus Shale impoundment in Washington and Greene counties is an arduous – perhaps impossible – task for the average citizen to undertake. Read more

Audit of fracking fluids highlights data deficiencies

August 15, 2014 – Chemistry World

A US survey of almost 250 chemicals used in fracking has identified potentially harmful compounds and exposed a lack of information about them that is hampering efforts to understand fracking’s environmental impact. Read more

Open Canvas amadpainter and Mark Eddy guest Bill Hughes

August 4, 2014 – WVNS

Charleston, WV – As rules to deal with low-level radioactive waste from Marcellus wells are going into effect, concerns are rising about the long-term impacts of it. Comments from Bill Hughes, chair of the Wetzel County Solid Waste Authority. Map of Marcellus drilling sites available. Read more

Norwegian shale-accident: 70,000 fish died and tons chemicals leaked

July 8, 2014 – EnergiWatch

Up to 100 tons of chemicals may be leaked into the wild after a fire at one of Statoil’s fracking facilities in the United States. The debate on fracking flare up again. Read more

A recently released study by the FrackTracker Alliance shows that water use and wastewater generated from horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has dramatically increased in the Appalachian Basin since 2010, leading to a corresponding increase in the use of Class II underground injection wells, especially in Ohio. Read more